


The Strange Case of Lester & Howell

by HarajukuTotoro



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-15 21:45:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19304440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarajukuTotoro/pseuds/HarajukuTotoro
Summary: A passionate post-production film editor receives news that his esteemed professor and mentor has been arrested. The next day, he receives a perplexing work in progress from the professor which he must finish. Phil Lester has never worked on a piece so morally ambiguous, so original and so confusing. His only hope of doing the film justice is to adopt his professor's mindset and become the character in the story. Despite his best attempts, he fails to bring the less than innocent side of him to life. Until one night, when the person inhabiting Phil's body is no longer Phil. He goes by Daniel and he is everything Phil's been trying to reach. Phil has managed to tear his consciousness in two and create a monster of himself with its own identity and its own agenda. Be careful what you wish for.





	The Strange Case of Lester & Howell

Phil loves editing when it’s raining outside. He likes the smell of wet days and grass floating around his mind as it puts the pieces of a story together. In the background, an old black and white film is playing. The sound quality is muffled and almost static, but Phil finds the voices and accents comforting. He never works to the sound of other people’s creativity – music seeps into his decisions and makes the final product not completely his own. He runs a strip of film between his thumb and forefinger. So many people and pictures trapped inside a sepia strip of plastic. In his dreams he sees the film strips as they are, only bigger. With his fingers, he traces over the tiny images and leaves a trail of dust in their wake. One by one, he breathes life into the stills and the movie plays out before his eyes. People and furniture and lights lifting off the plastic and moving, animated. The women with their red lipstick and demure gowns, the men with their faces in shade from hats tipped. They speak to each other and dance frivolously, and every now and then, Phil thinks they catch his eye. A silent nod of thanks. He’s not arrogant or proud. He holds no dominion or prejudice over the tapes or the stories within them. He merely brings them to life and acts as a catalyst for the author’s masterpiece coming to life.

When Phil was a child, he was obsessed with going to the movies. He’d cut out pieces of black paper and glue them to sticks from the garden. Behind the white curtain in his mother’s living room, he’d make the crudely drawn figures dance and spin, so the light shone over them and cast a shadow movie on the floor. When he was old enough, he bought his first movie ticket and sat at the back of the theatre on his own. He liked sitting at the back, so he could see people’s reactions to the film. It made him happy to see others enjoying the work of a moving picture as much as he did. No matter the story or plot, Phil would save his pocket money every month and buy a ticket to the first movie on show. He never held favourites, but he always remembered the films he saw. He’d play scenes over and over in his head before he went to sleep, silently mouthing scripts he’d made up.

Phil’s mother was a kind woman but not incredibly attentive. She saw Phil was quite happy to entertain himself and had no choice but to trust him to look after himself. She worked thirteen hours a day, every day, to keep the roof over their head and food on the table. Even if the food was served cold and late at night, they would never go to bed hungry. She saw Phil saving up his pennies and was so excited when he would come to see her and ask her to walk him to the movie theatre. To have a passion that young in life was something she’d never had time for herself, so it made all her hard work worth it to see Phil’s face lit up for days after his trip.

Orchestral music begins to play from behind Phil and a close-up of two lovers in black and white fades slowly into credits. It’s evening and he needs to stop working to eat. He turns the TV off and leaves the living room turned office. He turns on the old, crackling radio next to the stove as he cooks his white rice and pork. The news chatters away in the background as the rice bubbles and boils.

_Professor Liguori has been arrested on suspicion of fraud and tax evasion this evening. He is being held in an undisclosed location. The professor, known fondly by many as a mentor for young creatives, is thought to owe the government large sums of unpaid tax and even more in falsely claimed benefits. In an interview from just earlier this year, Professor Liguori said, “I agree with a means to an end. The world needs to stop trapping people within the confines of society and let art and youth run free. That’s the vision I have for the future.” We will share the date and details of his trial upon release._

Phil stops, hand hovering over the stove. Liguori was the closest to a father figure he’d ever known. He was the man who taught Phil everything he knows about the film industry. The professor had always lent financial aid to those in need, including Phil himself. He’d never thought to wonder where his wealth had come from. He was a professor, after all. The steam from the pot starts to burn his hand and he quickly moves and turns the heat off. What will happen to the professor’s students? All the young and inspired who rely on him? Surely the allegations are false, he thought with not the greatest of confidence.

The news played on his mind until he fell asleep. When he woke to the sound of birds and the sun casting light over his face, he’d promised himself not to think of it anymore. Phil dressed himself and went about his morning routine. Filtering through the post, he pulls a brown package stuffed through the letterbox. No return address. When he opens the package, he sees more packaging and a note.

**Phil,**

**I hope you are well. I have heard from colleagues of the magic you work into films and scripts. I have one last project I have yet to finish, and I fear I may never get the chance. This research has cost me an immeasurable sum and my dignity and morals, but I pray it is worth it for the many it will inspire. Take care of my ideas, for they are yours now.**

**Best wishes**

**Professor J. Liguori**


End file.
